Worlds Most Bizarre and Intriguing Bus Stops
Bus stop and shelter installations can range from a simple pole and sign or rudimentary shelter, to full-blown buildings. A wide array of bus stops have been creatively constructed in elaborate modern design of steel and glass in urban settings, sublime creations built to suit the natural surroundings in rural areas, and even outright ridiculous and bizarre contraptions.
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Design and construction may be uniform to reflect a large corporate or local authority provider, or installations may be more personal and distinctive where a small local authority or groups of individuals are responsible for the stop.
Some German nursing homes are using a novel strategy to stop Alzheimer’s patients and those suffering with dementia from wandering off — fake bus stops. Errant patients will wait for their trip to their imagined destination at the bus stop, and then quickly forget why they were there in the first place.
Staff will approach to tell them that the bus is coming later and invite them in for a coffee. Five minutes later they’ve completely forgotten they ever wanted to leave.
Bizarre Bus Stops and Shelters
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Designed by artist and sculptor Dennis Oppenheim 2002
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Photo Shiny Things
Loneliest Bus Stop in all of Santiago. With prospect of the new public transportation called Transantiago, city planners neglected to realize that not a single bus runs by this stop.
Photo PJ Furlong
Once a popular bus stop in Bowie, Geronimo’s Castle (now called the Teepee)
still stands and is sometimes used as a cafe. Photo Evanosherow
The Arts
Even artists and their creations have been celebrated, emblazoning the structures and benches with artworks resembling street art and graffiti.
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Otakou bus stop across the road from the Cadbury Factory in Dunedin.
Photo MF Crowl
One of many painted bus stops in Dunedin. This one is by a cricket field
near the Botanical Gardens. Photo MF Crowl
A mural beside the Hanover St. bus stop in Dunedin. Photo MF Crowl
Spaceship mural on a bus stop outside the Gardens New World Supermarket, Dunedin.
Photo MF Crowl
Bus stop with a mural by John Noakes, near the Gardens, Dunedin. Photo MF Crowl
Rear of a bus stop with a mural by John Noakes, near the Gardens, Dunedin.
Photo MF Crowl
Bus shelter in Capitol Hill, Seattle. Photo Faery Boots
Bushaltestelle Landtorplatz. Photo Dustpuppy
Botcheston bus stop. Photo Nitric Flog Fish
‘Homeless man in motion’ by Trudy Bersma. Four different paintings made by 4
different artists are hung up in 160 bus shelters throughout Zoetermeer. Photo FaceMePLS
Photo Faery Boots
Photo Faery Boots
Photo Faery Boots
Graphics on a bus shelter. Photo Wonderferret
Graphics on a bus shelter. Photo Tinali
Dog Beach bus shelter at Fremantle, Australia. Photo Tim Parkinson
Bus shelter outside Countdown supermarket, Dunedin. Photo MF Crowl
Photo Janetmck
Dilapidated and Abandoned
Some structures appear dilapidated and abandoned as if from some far-away, long-forgotten ghost town setting. Bus stops and shelters frequently include small built-in seats or benches, but for those without, some have taken matters into their own hands.
Photo Augapfel
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It doesn’t get much more unpretentious than this. Photo Conanil
Photo Jamtea
Bus stop graveyard. Photo Bradley P Johnson
Dunshelt Wooden bus shelter. Photo Brian Forbes
Photo Permanently Scatterbrained
Advertising and Contemporary Design
Advertisers have long capitalized on bus stops to promote their message or product. Marketing concepts vary from simple posters to complex illuminated, changeable or animated displays including interactive advertising.
Photo Tony the Tiger
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Bus stop in Broadway in New Moston. Photo Gene Hunt
Photo FaceMePLS
Bus stop in Roxbury. Photo Miz Ginevra
Photo Payton Chung
Bus shelter in the capital of Estonia. Photo Green Idea Factor
These bus stops are famously a symbol of Curitiba. Riders pay before entering the bus stop
so that they can just walk directly on the bus, like a subway. Author unknown
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Photo Clairity
Photo Allan Ferguson
Neutral Ambiance
To maintain the integrity and ambiance of their surroundings, some bus stops, shelters and benches have been discreetly built with unimposing or elegant design to blend within their environment.
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Bus stop at Yosemite Falls with simple, monumental scale. Photo Rezleb
Photo Jessye Anne
Photo iMorpheus
Photo Vittis from Lithuania
Bus shelter, York Bay, Wellington. Photo Bryce Edwards
Bizarre and Innovative
Bus stops frequently include street furniture, but some take the concept to a whole new level to create the illusion of home or comfort.
Fowye Bus stop. Photo J Bracken
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You know you have a long wait ahead when restaurants capitalize on serving food.
Photo Phillip C
For even longer delays, your bed awaits you. Photo iMorpheus
IKEA advertising. Photo Foxtongue
Photo Hyperspacemedia
This bus shelter was constructed from recycled doors as an initiative by Material Exchange,
sent in by a reader, Greg Lane. Photo Material Exchange
Bus Stop Occupants
Sometimes it’s not so much the bus stop that’s interesting, as the occupants.
Photo Pamela Adam
Fremont, Seattle, Washington. Photo Towodo
Photo Marcin Wichary
Photo Bonnie Burton
Photo Bonnie Burton
The Hollies – Bus Stop
Source: Wikipedia.
Special thanks to Chana from E-BrightHorizons for the inspiration by sending some of these images.
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I like the Otakou Maori PingPong Warrior Goddess Best!!
) Peace*
I would totally wait at some of those.
For a few weeks, this bus stop had an air-conditionner unit mounted on top while it was promoting some kind of fizzy drink…
http://rab.zapto.org/pssst/QC-STM_AbribusClimatise_20040604-103103.jpg
(It would have been more useful to have installed heaters for our pretty cold winters, though)
Otaku is “anime nerd,” not otakou.
Thanks Billy, it is pretty cool. I like how some have shown an appreciation for the arts
Well some of them have sure made it inviting to sit for a spell, Harley Jane
Thanks C Lugalle
Hehe, thanks Megan, that had been written based upon the author’s comment on his image. Now I know better
Omg, i didn’t know that there are so many inspiring bus stops. I’m said that there is neither one in my local town. I am sure it’s a great thing when you have custom bus stops near your home.
Come on!! Some of them are just great! I loved the one “Fowye Bus stop” that one was my favorite, but I don’t think all of those bus stops are real! I think some of them were built only for the picture, I can’t believe how many time does a bus stop like one of those could make it in L.A. for example, but actually all those ideas were great just great!
http://www.lifeinthefastlane.ca/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/bus_stop_47sfw.jpg
I wait at this bus stop every day! I even see the guy on the left all the time. He’s usually wearing a blazer but I guess the day was so warm he didn’t. It’s on 30th and University in San Diego.
My favorite is, by far, the one with the dance steps at the stop! Loving it.
What a fantastic collection! Very interesting and such a creativity! I’d love to see more of those out in the cities everywhere!
Really cool post!
I think some of them were built only for the picture, I can’t believe how many time does a bus stop like one of those could make it in L.A. for example, but actually all those ideas were great, just great.
I didn’t either until I began researching it Judit
Hard to say if some were fabricated for the photos, Brustvr, I guess anything is possible. But whether they were designed for the photos themselves or not, many are rather ingenious
Arinn, that must have come as quite a surprise to see a location that you use frequently here
There are quite a few really cool ones, Suz. If I had to choose, my favorites are those placed under the arts category, with the photo by Janetmck being at the top of the heap, due to my love of ancient architecture which it rather resembles to me
Thanks Lifecruiser, glad you enjoyed it
I would love to see more like these myself 
Cool Post, the first one, by the way, is from artist Dennis Oppenheim
I had no idea that there are so many unique and interesting bus stops in the world!! OMG!!! I love the Fowye Bus stop, cool post!!!
I just adore these mini-reflections society!
Thanks so much Mike
I found his sculpture for the third image down, created in 2002. He has some very unusual work, so I think an article on this artist is in order, which I will write up in the very near future.
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this is seriously making public transportation seem a lot more appealing — why didn’t my school bus stop look anything like that? I think it was in front of a mailbox Haha
I like this sort of creativity. There’s nothing worse than a dull neglected, grey concrete bus shelter standing alone and empty with drizzle dripping down the graffiti on its walls.
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where the hell did you get these photos? I like the halfpipe busstop best. thanks